Meet Nancy Saavedra

Meet Nancy Saavedra

What does breastfeeding mean to you? When I started my public health career, my interest began with childhood nutrition and obesity prevention. Naturally my path led me to breastfeeding, one of the most effective measures to prevent diseases among mothers and their infants. I think many of us who aren’t breastfeeding experts know about the nutritional advantages of breastfeeding, because it’s what we commonly hear. But as I continue to learn about the benefits that go beyond infant feeding, I can’t help but be amazed at how breastfeeding can impact so many aspects of baby’s development, and many years after it ends. It’s knowledge that I wish every expecting mother was given so that it could serve as motivation and encouragement to try to breastfeed her baby. I think that, just
as importantly, the same knowledge needs to be shared with mother’s support
system so that she can succeed with any breastfeeding goals that she sets.

Why did you decide to join SDCBC? Breastfeeding has benefits that cannot be duplicated by any other form of feeding and (unless there are medical concerns) any mother should be able to breastfeed if she chooses. Unfortunately, we know that significant disparities in breastfeeding rates continue, and mothers face many barriers that make their breastfeeding experience more challenging than it should. SDCBC’s work over
the last 25 years has been to address some of these barriers, and I have the same passion to achieve their mission to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

Outside of the coalition, what work do you do in the lactation field? Currently all my breastfeeding work and activism is through the San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition. Although I hope to work again in the lactation field with mothers and babies soon, I am very much looking forward to working
wholly on the Coalition’s objectives as President and increasing the Coalition’s presence in the San Diego community. We have a wonderful Board full of ideas and goals and I hope to bring these ideas to life. My personal mission is to build on our partnerships to increase the SDCBC’s reach to breastfeeding mothers and the health professionals who are passionate about breastfeeding.